Process and apparatus for making springs.



C. GIRL & T. J. FAY. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28.1913- Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- mam/5552 5 C. GIRL & T. J. FAY.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR-MAKING SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED'JULY'QB. 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

C. GIRL & T. J. FAY.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1913.

1,258,762. Patented Max:212, N18.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1/?) 773155555 Twin 01% to. invention. will appear hereinafter in con- 1 nection with-the detailed descriptiongof the process andapparatus disclosed herem.

,: ing under the heating chamber a rotary TED STATEls I A ENT anion.

CHRISTIAN sum, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND THOMAS J. FAY, 0E BROOKLYN, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE STANDARD PARTS coM- PANY, 0E cLEvELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, (1) CHRISTIAN Gmn,

(2) THOMAS J. .FAY, citizens of the United -States, respectively residing at (1) Cleve- 5 land, (2) Brooklyn,in the county. of (l) Cuyahoga, (2) Kings, and State of (1 Ohio, (2) New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes and Apparatus for Making Springs, ofwhich'the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a process for manufacturing springs and to an apparatus whereby such process'may be realized. It is the-object of this: invention to provide a process whereby the manufacture of springs of the flat-leaf type may be carried on continuously after the plateshavebeen cut to length and such platesas it may be neces- Saryto so treat have beenforged to provide the eyes thereon, after which initial preparation the plates are subjected successively to the ,following steps (a heating to the cambering temperature; (6) cambering (a) heating to the hardening temperature; quenching, in order to harden; (a) heating to the annealing temperature; cooling, to complete the annealing; (g') finishing.

Further and more limlted objects of the In carrying out the continuous process, an annular furnace is preferably employed havplatform orlturn-table whereon the spring plates are supported, the furnace be ng prm vided with openings of as limited extent as of the stock, these openings being located respectively at the charging. station, the cam-.

bering station, and the quenching station.

In addition to the rotary platform or conveyer by which the stock is subjected to the difl'erent temperature condltlons 1n the furnace, a. -conveyer is provided for conducting "the plates, after having been heated 7 .to the annealing temperature and withdrawn 5 from the furnace, to the finishlng apparatus,

which preferablycomprises a sand blast machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

will permit the introduction and withdrawal Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed July as, 1913. Serial No. 781:584.

maticplan view of the apparatus whereby. the method is practised; Fig. 2 an enlarged sectional detail of the furnace, the left hand side of the figure illustrating the construction of the heating chamber and the righthand side illustrating the construction of the turn-table and charging openings; while Figs. 3 and 4: are vertical sectional views. corresponding approximately -to-the line 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Describing by referencecharacters the various parts illustrated herein, 1 denotes. generally an annulan furnace comprising an upper heating section 2 and a lower rotary annular platform or turn-table 3 whereby the articles to be treated are supported. The furnace illustrated herein is of the electrical type and, within the interior of the annulus defined by the furnace, a number of transformers 4 are indicated, there being one transformer for each section A, B, and C of the furnace. The number of transformers and the number of furnace sections may v be varied in accordance with varying. conditions of use. The furnace is constructed of material ordinarily employed for 'this purpose and is preferably provided with air spaces '5 within the side and top ,walls-thereof, for the purpose of minimizing heat losses. At suitable intervals,-plugs 6 are provided having air spaces 7 therein, Said plugs serving "to close the charging openings through which. resistance material 8, preferably in the formof fine coke, may be introduced. The, charges of'resistancev material are supported on a fire-brick arch 9.

Each section will be provided with two or lmore electrodes 10 which maybe conveniently inserted through the inner wall of the furnace, in such'numbers and'at Such distances apart as may be necessary in order to secure the proper distribution of the electric current through the resistance formed by the carbon as will produce the,desired temperature. I v The outer cylindrical wall of the furnace is provided with three openings 11, 12 and 13. These openings are of a minimum vertical and lateral extent to permit the easy insertion and'removalof the stockv therethrough. Above each opening, the. firebrick wall 9 is arched upwardly and outwardly, as shown at 9*, to facilitate .the charging and discharging operations. Op-

v of trucks connected together.

posite the opening 12,- a cambering machine is provided, this cambering machine being indicated conventionally at D. No particular construction of cambering machine is shownherein, it being sufiicient for the pur-' platform may be composed of a plurality The platform will be composed largely of heat-resistant material, such as fire brick, and this material forms a support for the plates during the heating operations. For the purpose of driving the platform, a motor 16 is shown, the motor having a shaft 17 driving a shaft 18 through any suitable gearing, a Worm 19' and Worm gear 20 being illustrated. The shaft 18 projects through the inner cylindrical wall of the furnace and is provided with a gear 21 meshing with a rack 22 on the underside of the platform, whereby the platform or turn-table is rotated at a speed requisite to secure the necessary heating efiect.

Opposite the opening 13 there is provided the quenching bath, indicated at E. This bath comprises an open tank containing the quenching liquid, which is preferably oil.-

For the purpose of, maintaining substantially constant the temperature of thisbath, a spray pipe 24 is provided, said pipe being adapted to spray water in a finely divided condition on top of the oil. As the water globules sink through the oil, they are heated to the boiling point by the oil, the latent heat of evaporation of the Water serving to keep the temperature of the oil at substantially the boiling point of the Water; in fact,

owing to the production of a partial vacuum in the minute oil chambers which inclose the water globules, the water boils below at.-,

mospheric pressure and at a temperature less than its normal boiling point. thereby reducing, or tending to reduce, the temperature of the oil in the tank E somewhat below the boiling point of water measured under atmospheric pressure. In case any excess water is sprayed through the pipe 24,

- bridge forming a support for the spring plates 28.

Other methods may be employed for main- 7 taining the temperature of the quenching liquid substantially constant, but the mannerherein illustrated and described is believed to be not only efficient but extremely economical. A further advantage from an -sirable t0 obtain a rapid quenching of the steel, slnce this rapid quenching action produces the desired carbid condition in the steel; and' the cooling method described is partlcularly conducive to this result.

Opposite the opening 11 a conveye'r 26 is provided, whereon the plates 23 are placed after passing through the annealing section C of the furnace. These plates are carried by the 'conveyer through a sand blast mach ne, indicated conventionally at F, comprising a supply pipe 27 for sand and air and a plurality of nozzles 28 projecting into the chamber through which the plates pass. A motor 29 is shown as driving the conveyer 26.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, the operation will be as follows :-Such of the plates 23 as are required to be given a preliminary forming operation [(for instance, main plates) are subjected to the proper operation before being insertedthrough theopening 11 upon the annular platform 3. This platform is driven in the direction of the arrow on Figs. 1 and 2, and the platesare carried therebybeneath the heating chamber A, the temperature of this chamber and the rate of travel of the platform being so proporerably the heating chamber or section A and i the heating chambers or sections 13 and C of the furnace are so heated that a progressively increasing temperature is obtained therein from the inlet to the outlet end of each section. As the plates arriveat the opening 12, the operator removes them and cambers them in the machine D, replacing the cambered plates .upon the turn table through the opening 12. lhe platesfthen pass beneath the heating chamber B, where they are subjected to the hardening temperature. The temperature within the chamber B and the rate of travel of the plat- 1 form are so adjusted and proportioned that, when the plates arrive at the opening 13, they will have been heated to the desired temperature but without any danger of burning or overheating and without any unnecessary heating, the electric'form of furnace being particularly adapted for ob- .taining these results. t On arriving at the opening 13,'the plates are removed and inserted in the quenching bath E. After the "quenching operation they are placed upon the rotary platform 3, through the opening 13, and then are conveyed through the annealing section located beneath the heating chamber 0. The operatorremoves the plates through the opening 11: and places them upon the conveyer 26, which is of such length and driven at such speed that, when w the plates reach the sand blast apparatus F, they will be completely annealed. In

the sand blast apparatus, the sand operates not only. to remove the scale and other blemishes, but hastens the cooling of the plates. The annealing benefits having been derived during the travel of the plates to the sand blast apparatus, it will be advantageous to quickly remove the excess heat and thus hasten the production operation through the cooling, as well as cleaning, action of the sandblast. From the sand blast apparatus, the plates are finished, assembled, and test- .ed, in accordance with the ordinary practice.

With the foregoing apparatus and process it is possible to produce springs through a series of continuous operations and to accomplish this result in a manner that will insure the proper heat treatment necessary to secure uniformly high quality in the finished product and to accomplish this result with maximum speed, economy and eflic1ency.

Havingthus described our invention, what we-claim 1s 1. In an apparatus of the characterset forth, the*combinat ion of a series of three spaced heating chambers having means for heating the samerespectively to temperatures requisite for cambering, tempering and annealing metal articles, a conveyer extending in operativerelation to all of said. chambers, means for driving said conveyer, a cambering device between the first andsec- 0nd heating chambers and a quenching device between the second and thirdheating chambers, 2. In an apparatus of the character'described, the combination of a series of three heating chambers, electrical means for heate.

ing said chambers respectively to temperatures requisite for cambering, tempering and annealing metal articles, a cambering machine interposed between the first and second chambers, and a quenching device interposed between the second and third chambers." y

. 3. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of an annular series of spaced heating chambers, means for heat ing'thesaid chambers res ectively to temperatures requisite for cam ering, tempering and. annealing metal art1cles, mechanism arranged 1n operatlve relation "to said chambers, means for driving said conveyer mechanism, a cambering m'achine interposed between the first and second chambers, and a quenching device interposed between the second and third chambers.

4. In an apparatus of the character speci-- fied, the combination of an annular furnace compnsmg an annular serles of spaced heat-.

ing chambers, means for heating said chambers respectively to temperatures requisite for cambering, tempering and annealing metal articles, a rotary conveyer adjacent to said heating chambers, one of the walls of the furnace being provided with charging anddischarging slits between the heating chambers, a cambering machine opposite the first slit,;a quenching device opposite the second slit, a conveyer opposite the third slit, and .a sand blast apparatus cooperating with, the articles carried by the last men tionedconveyer. v

5. In an apparatus of the character speci- .-fied, the comblnation of an annular furnace .comprl'slng an lnner cylindrical wall and an outer cylindrical wall and comprising an annular series'of' spaced'heating chambers in the upperportion of the furnace, a rD- taryconveyer beneath said heating cham bers, the outer wall being provided with charging and discharging slits between theheating chambers, a cambering machine 0pposite the first slit, aquenching device opposite the second slit, a conveyer opposite the third slit, and a sand blast apparatus (:0-

operating with the last mentioned conveyer. 11 an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination ofa series of heating chambers arranged and equipped for heating material to cambering, hardening, and annealing temperatures, a conveyer ex tending in operative relation to said cham bers, a sand blast apparatus, and a c n ye extending front the third chamber the sand blast apparatus'and arranged to com vey' articles from the last chamber of the se-.

' ries in operative relationto such sand bla st apparatus. H I

In an ap aratus ofthe. character set forth, the comb I of spacedsegmental heating chamberssa r0- 'tar'y turn table arranged beneath said chambers, means for heating said, chambers to diflerent 'temperatu res" corresponding to the turntable are'to be subjected, and meansinterposed between said chambers for the treatment of the metal heated within such chambers.

ination of an annular series 1 heat treatment to whi'chthe articles on said chambers respectively to temperatures requi- Q our signatures in the presence of two witsite for cambering, tempering and annealing nesses.

metal articles on said turn table, mea ns for CHRISTIAN GIRL. driving said turn table, and means oper'a- THOMAS J. FAY.

5 tively lnterposed between the chambers for Witnesses: treating the metal heated therein. JOHN B. HULL,

In testimeny whereof, we hereunto afix BRENNAN B. WEsT, 

